Green Business
of the Week

September 28, 2008

Pivot
Eco-Fashion Boutique

If you can’t imagine a bamboo blouse, you might want to drop in on Pivot, the eco-fashion boutique in the newly hip Fulton Market area and see for yourself. Owner Jessalyn Brinkmeyer opened the store about a year ago after become intrigued by sustainable design while working as a fashion journalist. To some, fashion and environmental awareness might seem like strange bedfellows, but Brinkmeyer was convinced that she would find customers who cared about looking good and feeling good about it. Judging from at the stock in her store, she clearly found designers who agree.

Pivot stocks the work of more than 40 designers, including 7 from the Chicagoland area. Others are from as far away as Australia. All work with materials that are sustainable and cruelty-free. Even the silks at are made without killing the silkworms. An example of the kind of fabric you’ll find at Pivot is Lenpur, a biodegradable fabric made from white pine pulp. Lenpur offers the comfort of silk, the lightness of linen, and the touch of cashmere.

You can also get cashmere itself, ethically produced, and baby alpaca from free-range alpacas in the Andes Mountains. The styles are generally classic with a touch of hip, the kind of thing that you’ll feel fashionable in but wear for years. And in case you’re wondering, fabric made from bamboo is like a fine wool jersey with a silky finish.

Pivot is at the corner of Aberdeen and Fulton Market and the website is www.pivotboutique.com. Or go to mikenowak.net for a link to our Green Business of the Week.